After Study
by Harlequin99
Summary: A continuation from the Study books. Full of battles, poisons and a little surprise :
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is my 6th fanfiction for the Study Series, I hope you enjoy it. **

**It's basically a continuation from the books, full of battles, poisons and a little surprise (: **

**It starts after Fire Study - I'm not sure if i'm including the Glass Series yet since I haven't read them (but I very much intend to!) so I might decide in a couple of months (after i've read the series) that i'm going to include it - or basically write my own version of it, i'm not sure yet. If not then this is just want I think happened after the series ended!  
**

**I haven't thought of a name yet (hence the unoriginal 'After Study') so i'm open to suggestions :D **

**I hope you like it, please review and tell me what you think! **

**Harlequin x **

**DISCLAIMER: all characters belong to Maria V Snyder and the plot and new characters belong to me, blah blah blah, you know the drill (: **

**P.S. I'd like to say thanks to my beta, Homegrl aka Amanda, for helping me with this (:  
**

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_The feelings of contentment, peace and joy flowed through our bodies. Locked tight together, we owned a piece of the sky._

Yelena sighed in contentment as she pressed herself closer to Valek's warm body. She felt his lean arms encircle her, protecting her and for the first time in weeks, she felt safe in his strong arms. She placed her left hand over his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath her palm, he was alive and that was all she cared about.

Finally at peace, she drifted into a blissful sleep, no longer haunted by her nightmares of living without Valek. She had spent a whole week, before her venture into the underworld, in despair, thinking that she had lost him. It was the worst time of her life, despite everything else she's been through- her childhood in Brazell's orphanage and her time in the dungeons. That week she had lost her lover, her soul mate, and her will to survive.

But Valek had spent 71 days feeling the same pain. Even though she wasn't dead, she wasn't exactly alive either- in this world at least. She was trapped between two worlds. Her body was with him but her soul was in the underworld, fighting alone. And that's what pained him the most, that he couldn't help her. She was on her own and he felt helpless. He didn't know how long her voyage would take but, as the first month ended he started to get worried. After two months he was in despair, and he'd find himself checking her pulse at least once a day to make sure she was still alive. Her pulse was weak while she was in the underworld, and often Valek feared he had lost her. And now she was _alive_, he never wanted to let her go again, but he knew that he'd have to. She was stubborn and she'd never stop saving people, even for him.

He felt guilty for taking so long in letting her know that he was alive during the time she thought he was dead. It must have pained her so much; and after the last 71 days of being without her, he had an inkling of the pain she had felt. He vowed to himself to never make her suffer like that again.

Valek looked down at Yelena's peaceful face as she slept. Nightfall had begun hours ago and he noticed how the moonlight only emphasized her beauty. However, her true beauty would only be there when he woke up. Her bright emerald eyes had captivated him since the first time he saw her.

Her eyes were closed now, her long soft eyelashes fanning over her soft tanned cheeks. She pressed herself closer to him, sighing in her sleep and a smile played at the corners of his mouth. She was so lovely in her sleep.

He remembered how happy he felt when he heard she had returned from the underworld.

Valek wished for nothing more than to fall asleep in her warm embrace, but he knew that he still had her request to fulfil. He stroked her cheek lightly before gently kissing her forehead, trying not to wake her. Regrettably he untangled their warm bodies and dressed himself quickly before the cold night air made Yelena's warm bed even more alluring. He shook his head to remove these dangerous thoughts, since he knew that the sooner he completed her tasks the sooner he could return to her, and after sending her one last loving glance, he left her rooms and into the night.

* * *

Valek had spent the last three days locating the glass prisons. As he placed them in his carefully backpack, he tried his best not the break them and release the spirits inside. His skin tingled as he touched them, since they were laced with magic. Even wrapped in cloth in his bag, they still made his skin tingle slightly. He sighed, this is going to be a long trip ahead, he thought. But no matter how long and enduring it will be, he would never break a promise to Yelena. He'd do anything to give her what she wanted and he'd give anything to make her happy.

But he knew that hiding the prisons would be the easy part. It was not telling Yelena when she begged and pleaded with him for their location that would tear him apart inside.

He waited impatiently until nightfall before he made his move; he was annoyed at having to wait, knowing that it meant it would be longer until he could reunite with Yelena once again. He felt guilty for leaving her without saying goodbye, but saying goodbye was one of the hardest things he could do, and she herself knew that he had to do this task for her. Not only would he do anything for her, neither of them wanted her to be corrupted by her magic. He knew that she had the self restraint to avoid it, but there's still that possibility and the last thing he wanted was to lose her. To lose her meant he'd lose everything he cared about. And after losing his brothers all those years ago, he couldn't bear to go through that pain again.

With the prisons safely in his bag, he dug his heel into Onyx setting him into a fast gallop towards Ixia. He moved swiftly throughout the long journey, only travelling at night and sleeping in the trees during the day. He didn't want to be seen by anybody or raise any suspicions. The locations of the glass prisons had to stay secret.

He knew where to hide the first prison. He needed to hide them somewhere Yelena wouldn't find them, like she had asked. However, he hid them somewhere she was able to find them if she thought hard enough, but he wouldn't tell her, as promised.

Valek grew up in MD-1 the coldest and bleakest district in Ixia. The sheer coldness and the harsh terrain would make it even harder for anyone to find the prison. After all it wasn't just Yelena that would want to find them, but she was the only one who knew about his history. He had informed the Commander about it briefly, but he didn't go into detail like he had with Yelena.

Yelena knows everything about him, and that would be the only way to find the prisons.

After hiding the first prison in a small cave that he and his brothers used to play in when he was younger, he brushed aside any hurtful memories. They were the first to discover the cave, and he doubted anyone else had discovered it since. It was well hidden in the snow and mountains, and they hadn't told anyone about it - even their parents - because for them it was their own little secret hideout.

He rode east until dawn and found a suitable hide-away to sleep in. He tied Onyx up so he was well hidden before falling into an exhausted sleep. Going back into that cave, he had unearthed many memories, many happy but some were sad. He missed his brothers terribly and he often blamed himself for their deaths, thinking that it should have been him that had been murdered and not them. With that he could have at least saved one of his loving brothers, he had survived and although he took revenge on their killer, the king; he hasn't been the most admirable person. A master assassin isn't exactly someone you would be proud of- and he often thought that being gifted with a life that his brothers did not; he should have used it more wisely, perhaps by saving lives rather than ending them.

The next morning he arose at nightfall, and after eating a rodent he saddled Onyx and kicked him into a steady gallop continuing east until he reached the Soul Mountains. Throughout his journey he had thought about the desired locations for these prisons very carefully. He thought of the Soul Mountains purely because Yelena herself was a Soul Finder. So if she thinks hard enough, she could find the next prison.

Once he had reached the mountains, he tied Onyx up again; the terrain was too risky to ride a horse over so for the next few days he would be on foot. After unsaddling Onyx and providing him with something to eat and drink over the next few days, he threw his belongings onto his back, before arriving he had collected several items from passing villages. He made sure he had plenty of food and blankets for warmth; he even invested in a thick cloak. Knowing from past experience how cold the mountains can get, he began his long journey into the mountains.

He hadn't journeyed into these mountains for quite sometime and by the end of the first day his muscles were throbbing with fatigue. In the mountains he didn't have to worry about when he slept and when he travelled for their harsh terrain made them practically deserted. And occasionally there would be a few mountaineers who ventured up here, whom assumed he was as well.

After a few days trekking in the mountains, he began to hide the next 4 prisons throughout Ixia and Sitia, each place linking to either him or Yelena in some way. At least that way she still stands a chance at finding them, no matter how small it is.

Mounting Onyx, he galloped south, keeping close to the mountains. As soon as he reached MD-5, sudden memories of Yelena's torturous past crashed down on him. He hastily removed these thoughts from his mind. He didn't have time to take a detour to the Commanders dungeons to kill Brazell. And as for Reyad, well, he was lucky Yelena killed him first.

Upon reaching Snake Forest, he made sure to avoid any trade routes as he continued to keep inconspicuous as he made his way to the Emerald Mountains. This location was influenced by the color of Yelena's eyes. As corny as it sounds, they captivate him, therefore influencing his decision on where to hide the last prison.

One again, he made the rest of the journey on foot, the Emerald Mountains are slightly smaller than the Soul Mountains, and a lot warmer too, much to Valek's appreciation.

Once the prison was safely hidden away among the mountains, he sighed in relief as he finally started to make his way back to Yelena. Back home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two, I made it abit longer since it was far too short (:**

**I hope you like it and please review! **

**Harlequin x **

**Reviews  
**

**Sammi - I know but apparently they find one in Glass Study - and he knows that she wouldn't look in the most obvious places. And he can always hide them again later (:  
**

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Valek sighed as he urged Onyx to go faster. Even his fastest gait was still frustratingly slow as he neared the end of his journey home, back to the warm loving embrace of his soul mate. These thoughts made him even more impatient and he urged Onyx once again, only to get an annoyed grunt in response. He didn't dare ask to go faster again as he sat helplessly while his excitement grew far beyond the point of unbearing.

Upon reaching his cottage in the Featherstone lands, he quickly tied his horse to a nearby tree next to Kiki, the barn was still in ruins, and he knew it would take a lot of time and effort - mostly on his part - to rebuild it. The horses greeted each other, and only Yelena could know what they were really saying to each other.

Then not being able to wait any longer, he dashed up the flowered path to the cottage. Night had fallen roughly five hours ago, so he assumed Yelena would be asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he picked the locks silently and went inside, closing the door quietly behind him. He was surprised to see her sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

Her emerald eyes met his and she grinned, her heart filling with happiness. Her happiness mirrored on his face and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. He revelled at the feel of her warm soft curves against his hard body.

His lips met hers eagerly and they kissed passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and she sighed in contentment, melting in his warm embrace.

He grinned as she pulled at his shirt frantically, wanting to feel the smooth contours of his lean torso beneath her palms. He seemed just as eager to have her unclothed, as he pulled her shirt over her head roughly but gently and tossed it on the floor. He dipped his mouth to her neck and she gasped in pleasure, desire aching through her body.

He gently kissed down her neck, reaching her collarbone before slowly making his way back to her mouth. She didn't know how much more she could take and she squirmed uncontrollably and a moan escaped from her lips. This only made him grin wider, and his moves became even more slow and intense as he tortured her further.

He knew that they wouldn't make it to the bedroom. Their need was far too intense. So he pushed her back onto the couch gently, positioning himself on top of her, careful not to put all his weight on her.

They were connected once again and reacquainted themselves by the fire. The flames illuminating the room with a warm glow, and they both enjoyed the shadows it caused over their naked bodies.

Later, Valek lay on the couch with Yelena in his arms. She sighed as she laid her head on his chest, once again relishing herself in the steady sound of his heartbeat, her most favourite sound. Valek stroked her hair softly and kissed her forehead.

Yelena wondered where he had hidden the prisons, but she quickly abandoned the thought. She didn't want to know where they were – yet – and that's why she made him promise not to tell her.

They laid in a comfortable silence until she fell asleep in his arms. Careful not to wake her, he slowly climbed from underneath her and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom. They lay in a locked embrace until late morning, when a loud knock on the door interrupted their dreams.

Valek groaned in annoyance as he had to leave the warm bed and Yelena lying peacefully in his arms. He shivered in the cold morning air and dressed himself hastily hunting through the drawers as his clothes were still scattered downstairs from last night - he smiled at the memory.

He turned back to Yelena and kissed her forehead lightly as she too was moaning from being woken up by the loud knocking. He made his way downstairs as the knocking persisted.

"Alright, alright." He muttered to himself. He was annoyed as the knocking not only woke him up, but now woke Yelena up as she walked down the stairs behind him. He noticed she was wearing the robe he brought her from Castletown, probably wearing nothing underneath. He tried his hardest to keep those thoughts from his mind; he couldn't get too overheated in front of the source of the knocking.

Before he opened the door he heard muffled voices. "I don't think this is a good idea." Valek immediately recognised the deep voice as Ari's. And as soon as he swung open the door, Janco bounded in with Ari close behind.

"Finally," Janco said. "What took you so long?" He then noticed Yelena wearing her robe and his eyes swept across the room to their clothes discarded on the floor. "Oh..." his eyebrows raised and smirked.

"What do you want?" Valek snapped. He wasn't in the best mood, having been woken up by someone other than Yelena. Something he'd been looking forward to for weeks. Months even.

"We heard you were back and wanted to see if everything was alright." Janco answered, as his Second-in-Commands, they were required to report to him after every mission. Yelena had informed them during his absence about her request, after being warned not the tell anyone.

Valek looked at the sun as he closed the door, "at 6 in the morning?" he grumbled.

"We were about to go for a run before we thought we'd call by." Janco grinned. He clearly had done this on purpose since he knew that Valek and Yelena would be together. Valek resisted the urge to throttle him, while Ari stood nearby, clearly anxious for his best friend.

"Everything went fine. Now what's your real reason for being here?" Valek asked him, but this time Ari answered him, not trusting Janco.

"The Commander wanted to see you as soon as you got back. He said it's important."

Valek groaned in annoyance, "But I only just got back." He whined.

Yelena had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing, he sounded like a little kid. Janco just smiled, "He knew you would say that. But he says it's urgent."

Valek groaned again, louder this time. "Fine," he sighed, "but I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning."

Ari sand Janco seemed uncertain but agreed never the less, they didn't want to get in the way of Valek's wrath. They nodded before leaving, Janco winked at Yelena before he turned to leave.

Valek embraced Yelena and kissed her before the door closed, he smiled when hearing Janco's groans.

He pulled away slightly, "I'm sorry Love," he whispered into her mouth, his warm breath on her lips was enough to make her pull him back to her, kissing him passionately before reluctantly pulling away to reply.

"Don't apologize. You have to obey him." she wasn't happy at the thought of him leaving so soon after returning, but she knew that he couldn't do anything about it. She'd just have to persuade the master magicians for another liaison trip.

"Enough talk, I need to give you a proper send-off." she quoted what he had said to her before she left for Sitia, and his blue eyes burned with desire. He swooped down to lift her up and carried her back to the bedroom. She laughed as he kicked the door shut and they began his long and blissful farewell.


End file.
